1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to dryers for removing vaporous substances such as paint from a product and, more particularly, to a dryer utilizing both infrared heaters and ventilating nozzles.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Infrared heaters have long been used to remove vaporous substances such as paints, adhesives and moisture from products of various types. These dryers generally include an array of infrared heaters beneath which the products pass. In order to dissipate heat imparted by the heaters to the surrounding support structure, the support structure is generally open to allow good convective cooling and facilitate heat radiation. Thus, a substantial quantity of power utilized by these existing dryers is converted to heat which does not perform any useful purpose.
Another problem associated with existing infrared heaters is that a substantial portion of the infrared radiation radiated to the product is absorbed by a vapor barrier which builds up on the surface of the products. Thus, only a portion of the radiation radiated to the product is effective in removing the vaporous substance from the product.
An entirely different variety of dryer for removing vaporous substances from a product directs air which is often heated onto the product. Although this variety of dryer is more effective than the infrared variety in removing surface moisture, it is not as capable of removing deeper moisture. Also, most of the power used by this variety of dryer is used by the heating element for the air and not by the mechanism for producing the air flow. Although product may have been previously exposed to an infrared dryer and then a forced air dryer in sequence, no attempt has been made to utilize the excess heat generated by the infrared dryer to heat air flowing from the forced air dryer.